East Syracuse, NY -- When firefighters arrived on the scene of a large industrial fire Tuesday morning more than 80 percent of the building was engulfed in flames, East Syracuse Fire Chief Robert Russell said.

Around 2:15 a.m., firefighters were called to Syracuse Recycling and Recovery located at 380 Carr St., after a call came in that the recycling plant was on fire.

Plastics, papers and metals inside the building contributed to the fire, Russell said. The plant is made up of five buildings that are interconnected. All of them have been destroyed by the fire.

"Right now, the biggest concern is getting the plant opened up," Russell said. "It's just smouldering because of the materials that are in there."

Smoke continues to rise from the area but Russell said, the public is safe. .

Two sides of the main red brick building have already collapsed and the front end of the building is still a concern, Russell said.

Firefighters have been fighting the fire from outside and are waiting for heavy equipment to arrive to start taking the buildings down. Breaking down the buildings will give firefighters better access to get the fire out, Russell said.

Approximately eight departments responded to the fire and several were on standby. Some departments have been released from the fire. Beginning at 9 a.m., firefighters will begin shift rotations that could last several days, Russell said.

The smell of smoke lingered throughout the area including Erie Boulevard and through downtown Syracuse. No one has been evacuated from the area, Russell said.

Officials don't yet know the cause of the fire. They do know that the last employees at the business left around 1:30 a.m., Russell said.

Tuesday's fire is different from other industrial fires that have erupted over the last year because the buildings were occupied, Russell said.

The fire at Metalico Aluminum factory in June was confined to a small outdoor area. The company didn't shut down, a spokesperson said.

"Camillus Cutlery was a vacant building and Metalico Aluminum Recovery was an outdoor scrap pile," he said. "This was occupied and generally when you get these kind of fires, it's days not hours. The hours turn into days because you start at one end of the building and continue to work your way down in order to put the fire out."